Payton begins work to gain ground on stronger NFC

    Super Bowl Sunday night will be a bittersweet moment in New Orleans.
    The city will have proven (once again) it is the best place – period – to host a Super Bowl.
    And, the handoff of the Vince Lombardi Trophy to one of the Harbaugh brothers will dredge up a feeling of emptiness.
    This was supposed to be the year that a team had the best chance ever of hosting a Super Bowl on its home field.
    But, in the words of reinstated Saints head coach Sean Payton, “It is time for closure.”
    When Payton, in his words, looks “forward,” he will see an ever-toughening NFC.
    The 49ers have a rock-solid defense and a talented second-year quarterback.
    The Seahawks have an outstanding defense and a very talented rookie quarterback with considerable leadership skills.
    The Bears have a great defense and hired an offensive head coach to mentor Jay Cutler.
    The above three teams were third, fourth and fifth in total defense in 2012.
    Carolina was 10th. The Panthers beat the Saints twice in 2012.
    When you look at Payton’s dismissal of Steve Spagnuolo, it makes sense. The Saints allowed an NFL record for 16 games, 7,042 yards.
    All Payton had to do was look around the NFC and realize he had to make a big leap on defense to get back in the title conversation.
    Payton hopes to accelerate that process with a switch to the 3-4 defense. And, he obviously hopes that a new voice in the defensive meeting room can make a huge difference – much like Gregg Williams did when he coordinated the Saints’ defense in its championship season.
    In his first meeting with the media after his reinstatement, Payton was blunt in assessing his defense. “When you play the way we played defensively, it is going to be hard to win,” said Payton.
    A quick restocking of the Saints’ defense will not be easy. The free agent market for a run-stuffing nose tackle is bare. And, the Saints are currently without a second-round draft choice as part of the penalty for the alleged bounty program.
    The Saints will also need two stout defensive ends, who play more like D-tackles, and some outside pass rushers.
    Payton will count on Martez Wilson and Junior Gallette to provide heat on the quarterback.
    At his first press briefing, Payton looked energized and ready for the challenge.
    When he was asked about the support he got from Saints fans, he said it was so good that at times, “it was embarrassing.”
    He also spoke of how the Saints have missed Senior Bowls in the past because they were still playing. It was an obvious reference to the club’s appearance in two NFC Championship games in the past seven seasons.
    “We have to get a lot of things better or we will be at this Senior Bowl early next year,” Payton said.
    Payton sent a message to his club. Expect the offseason and training camp to be demanding, much like when he arrived in 2006.
    While Payton’s return is enough to convince many that the Saints will be back in Super Bowl contention, my guess is Payton himself knows better.
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].